Posted on October 2, 2024
Workers have completed a $73 million project to restore the Lake Michigan shoreline at Illinois Beach State Park.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said wave activity and shoreline erosion had caused the beach to nearly vanish.
“As the beach and shoreline diminished, so did the visitors and tourists who once flocked to this location in the summers,” Phelps Finnie said.
Phelps Finnie spoke at a ceremony held Monday at Illinois Beach in Zion. She said the project was the largest capital investment in the history of the Illinois DNR.
State taxpayers funded the $73 million Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the project earned a gold standard for Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines Verification.
“So what does it mean? It means more families making cherished and lifelong memories, more visitors from across the state and around the world contributing to the local economy, more protection for our treasured ecosystem here,” Pritzker said.
Tamakia “TJ” Edwards, executive director of the Illinois Capital Development Board, said the Illinois Beach project involved shoreline restoration and 22 stone breakwaters in Lake Michigan.
“Despite its complexity, this project was completed successfully under budget, with minimal delays,” Edwards said.
Pritzker thanked attendees at Monday’s ceremony for their efforts to revitalize state parks and forest preserves.
“Because of the dedication, the energy, the passion of people in this room, Illinois is becoming the best state in the nation for conservation and outdoor recreation,” Pritzker said.
U.S. News has Illinois ranked 38th out of 50 states for natural environment, which includes metrics for pollution, air and water quality.
Stacker ranked Illinois 48th for land conservation.
